Monday, May 21, 2007

Why?

In that he's slugging .318 in 129 AB this year, has an EqA of .230, is 32 and expensive, and is always injured? Is that the "bill" he fits?

Ned Colletti, one of the game's more aggressive GMs, has looked just about everywhere for power, which is the glaring weakness on an otherwise well-balanced team. Colletti recently said he wasn't going after Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus. But he hasn't denied interest in Rolen.

Troy Glaus: 30 years old, slugging .614 with a .346 EqA. This = better. (Edit: I am getting slammed on e-mail, so I will hereby add what I thought, on May 20, was an implied: Small Sample Size Alert!!!The original point was: Glaus is younger and equally injured and hitting better.)

The Cardinals have not yet signaled they're ready to throw in the towel, but if things continue to go south, it would make sense to trade Rolen, who has an uneasy relationship with manager Tony La Russa and would have some market value despite his awful start (.215). (Rolen has three years and $36 million remaining on his contract after this season.) The Dodgers have prospects to trade, including a third baseman, Andy LaRoche, plus young pitchers.

Who would be dumb enough to trade for Scott Rolen? Who is dumb enough to think that Scott Rolen will provide "power" for a team, especially one that plays in a cavernous stadium? And who would be dumb enough to trade Andy LaRoche, who is 23, cost-controlled, and 7-for-his-first-27 with 2 2B, for Scott Rolen, who will be paid $12m a year until 2009?

While the point that Rolen is hardly an answer to offensive woes, your implication that Dodger Stadium is cavernous was off-base. Dodger Stadium actually increases home runs for hitters, rating just below Coors Field in that category. While it's overall Index is below average for runs (at 95), it is a HR park.

Mea culpa. I looked at the wrong stat row on ESPN's Park Factor's page. And you'll see why, if you follow this link soon, before it all changes, and you notice that Coors Field is .877 for HR. What the hell?!?!